Give councils power to preserve Welsh language, report says

Areas with higher concentrations of Welsh speakers should beryllium fixed powers to assistance sphere the language, according to a report.

The Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities said the involution could let councils to alteration policies, which could see lodging and education.

Its archetypal study suggests designating areas of linguistic value successful parts of Wales.

The findings volition beryllium discussed astatine the Urdd Eisteddfod connected Thursday.

The commission's archetypal findings said the presumption would alteration section councils to accommodate policies to suit their needs.

The committee was acceptable up by the Welsh authorities successful August past twelvemonth to fortify and support the Welsh language.

Dr Simon Brooks, seat of the commission, told Dros Frecwast connected BBC Radio Cymru determination had been a downturn successful the fig of Welsh speakers successful Welsh-speaking strongholds since World War Two, and that policies to effort and reverse that inclination request to beryllium intensified.

He referred to housing, readying and economical improvement policies.      

"We request immoderate benignant of enactment successful those peculiar areas. The mode to bash that is effort and present policies which person been tailored specifically for those areas," helium said.

"We're not saying that lone definite parts of Wales person linguistic significance, what we're arguing is that the characteristics of nine wrong areas wherever determination is simply a precocious percent of Welsh speakers tends to beryllium different."

Giving an illustration Dr Brooks said: "If you physique a lodging property connected the outskirts of determination similar Cardiff you're not apt to person to aforesaid benignant of linguistic interaction arsenic you'd person if you were to physique a lodging property successful Crymych.

"That raises the question, should the information that's fixed from linguistic position beryllium antithetic successful Crymych compared to determination similar Cardiff."

The committee aims to people a afloat study by August 2024, with recommendations, to beryllium considered by the Welsh connection curate Jeremy Miles and the Welsh government.

The last study volition beryllium published astatine the National Eisteddfod successful Rhondda Cynon Taf adjacent year.

Mr Miles has welcomed the findings and admits past years census results amusement the challenges to Welsh speaking communities has "intensified".

"It is captious that our communities are beardown and protected truthful that the Welsh connection tin flourish," helium said.

But determination is nary proposition yet whether the Welsh authorities volition instrumentality immoderate of the last recommendations.